Prompt: On the second anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, the Lupins take their son Teddy to meet the first Weasley grandchild on the day of her birth - Victoire Weasley.
Set post Deathly Hallows. AU in which Tonks and Remus live.
...
"We're going to meet someone special today, Teddy," said Tonks. "We're going to see Uncle Bill and Auntie Fleur's new baby!"
"Baby?" Teddy's chubby hands came up to rest on Tonks's midsection, which was already swollen from the new life growing within. The Lupins expected their second child - a daughter - in late August or early September.
Everyone speculated if the Lupins' second child would be a classmate alongside the newborn Victoire Weasley, or if baby Lupin would be in the same year as the next expected Weasley grandchild - Percy and Audrey Weasley's first child, due in October of the same year.
"That's right, sweetheart," Tonks said, bringing Teddy up to her hip and pointing to her midsection. "A baby sister inside mummy, and you'll meet your new friend Victoire today."
"Bik-bik-bik," babbled Teddy.
"Close enough." Remus walked out of the kitchen with a box filled to the brim with biscuits for the new parents, Bill and Fleur. "I'm sure Molly's got everything for them, but biscuits are always nice, yeah?"
Tonks kissed Remus's cheek and nodded enthusiastically. "You saved some for us?"
"What am I, a savage?" Remus said, scoffing. "Of course I did."
Tonks grinned and took Teddy with her to the Floo. Teddy's arms flailed for his father. His hair morphed to a sandy brown, indicating he wanted to be held by Remus.
"Dad has the biscuits, Teddy. You'll have to wait till we get to Bill and Fleur's." Teddy scrunched his face in anger and his hair flashed to an acid orange. A tantrum was imminent.
"Okay, we're switching," Tonks said briskly. Remus set the box of biscuits down and took Teddy in his arms. Tonks took the box of biscuits and went through the Floo to Shell Cottage, where she tripped over herself immediately and sent biscuits flying across the room.
"Bollocks," Tonks said, embarrassed, upon realizing that half the Weasley clan and their significant others were already in the living room. They stared for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"It's all right, Tonks," Ginny said soothingly. "We've got plenty of food."
"But Remus–"
"-brought more." Remus appeared in front of the fireplace with Teddy on one hip and a fresh box of biscuits in his other hand.
Everyone burst into laughter again and Tonks felt even more embarrassed that Remus had not only anticipated her clumsiness but prepared for it by making or packing extra biscuits.
"Uncle Harry!" shouted Teddy. He wriggled out of Remus's arms. In his flails the second box of biscuits went toppling to the floor. Teddy stomped on the biscuits in his haste to get to Harry, who lifted Teddy instantly into a soaring hug.
"See?" Tonks shrieked. "It can happen to anyone!" She gestured to the biscuits scattered on the floor, where Remus had dropped them.
Remus burst into laughter and helped to clear the biscuits from the floor.
"So much for trying to be helpful," said Remus. He vanished the remaining biscuits and turned back to Tonks. "Don't worry - those aren't the ones I saved for you," he added, in a low voice.
"Forgive our clumsiness," Tonks said sheepishly at the Weasleys. "We really don't mean to–"
CRASH.
Everyone whipped their heads around and saw Teddy's outstretched hands in front of what appeared to be a broken vase. Shards of porcelain, a puddle of water, and flowers were now decorating the previously biscuit-laden floor.
"Oops," said Teddy. His hair was now an embarrassed shade of red, which coincidentally matched the Weasleys' fiery red.
Tonks mustered a weak chuckle. She took her wand out to repair the mess, but Molly Weasley was already there. She flicked her wand at the mess; the vase stitched itself together again, the water went back into the vase, and the flowers rearranged themselves. Tonks could've sworn she also heard Molly cast both an Unbreakable Charm on the vase, as well as a Sticking Charm.
"I'll take him," Remus said. "We told him he'd get to meet the baby."
"I promise we won't break her!" Tonks said hurriedly. "We haven't dropped Teddy yet, either!"
"Yet being the key word there, Tonks," Harry said, grinning. Tonks didn't have the patience for Harry's snark and sent a wordless jinx to his backside. He yelped, and Tonks smiled smugly at him before going upstairs to meet Victoire Weasley.
"Fine example you're setting for Teddy," Remus said, laughing. "He'll have a temper to match yours at the rate you're going."
"Look who's talking," Tonks retorted playfully. "Mister I-get-grouchy-when-my-shirts-are-folded-incorrectly."
"You would be too, if your shirts were always wrinkled," Remus said wryly. "But someone always manages to fix that for you."
Tonks rolled her eyes dramatically. Remus was obviously holding back another laugh while Teddy's hair morphed to his favorite, happy turquoise shade.
Tonks knocked on the door to Bill and Fleur's room and heard a muffled cry before hearing "come in." Remus stayed outside with Teddy until they were called in.
"Hey, mummy," Tonks said, smiling. "Where's dad?"
"'E 'eez getting ze camera," Fleur replied, with a slightly upturned nose. Tonks was slightly jealous that only twelve hours after birthing Victoire, Fleur was as radiant as ever. Other than her still-swollen abdomen, Tonks could hardly tell Fleur had birthed a child.
After Teddy's birth, Tonks morphed all her exhaustion away. Without the morphing, Tonks reckoned she looked like one of those Muggle zombie villains. Even with her Metamorphmagus abilities, Tonks always felt a bit insecure around Fleur.
There was a small bundle on Fleur's lap and Tonks leaned over to see the baby.
Victoire Weasley was already stunning. She had a head full of silvery blond hair in a shade slightly darker than her mother, Fleur's, a dainty, pink nose, and full, chubby cheeks.
"She's gorgeous," Tonks said. "Congratulations."
"She takes after her mother," Bill interjected. He had dark circles under his eyes and the silver scars on his face shone in the light of day, but he looked as happy as he had on his wedding day. "Beautiful, just like mummy."
"Excuse me," Fleur said sharply, "I am 'er maman, not 'er mummy."
"Of course," said Bill. He kissed Fleur's forehead and beamed at the baby on his wife's lap. "Victoire and her maman."
"Err…Dora? Teddy's getting impatient," Remus said uneasily, from the other side of the door.
"Leetle Teddy - come in, come in."
Remus carried Teddy inside the room. His hair was an acid orange again but shifted to the silvery blond once he saw Fleur.
"Baby!" Teddy said, while wriggling out of Remus's arms. He toddled toward the bed and Fleur gestured for Tonks to help him up.
"Look, Teddy," said Tonks. "That's your new friend Victoire. You're going to have a little sister like her one day."
"Bik-bik-bik." Teddy grabbed for Victoire's nose but Fleur gently pulled his arm back.
"No, Teddy," Fleur said seriously. "This eez a bebe, and she eez Victoire. Say 'er name."
Fleur spent several painstaking minutes teaching Teddy to correctly pronounce her daughter's name until he had it right. Teddy's hair was ginger again by the time he was done practicing, indicating his patience was waning again.
"Hold Victoire?" Teddy said. "Mummy hold me."
"I think we could do that," Bill said. "When I was his age, Charlie was born and I have a few pictures of me holding him."
Fleur eyed Teddy warily and Remus helped Teddy sit on the bed with Victoire carefully on his little lap. Teddy morphed his hair to match Victoire's silvery blond and grinned up at the camera.
"I like baby Victoire," said Teddy. Victoire began to wail as soon as Teddy made his pronouncement and he became startled at her crying.
"No! Victoire! No cry!" Teddy said frantically.
Tonks lifted Victoire off of Teddy's lap and placed her with Fleur. Teddy went right back to Fleur and looked at Victoire with a worried expression.
"Victoire cry, mummy," Teddy said helplessly. "No cry, Victoire!"
"She's hungry, sweetheart," said Tonks, as Remus turned around to face the window, for Fleur had begun undressing to feed Victoire. "When Hope is born she's going to be the same way."
Tonks realized a moment too late what she'd said and clapped her hand over her mouth.
"'Ope?" Fleur said quizzically. "Eez that 'er name?"
"May as well tell her, love," Remus said, with his back to the others. "I don't mind. We haven't decided on a middle name yet, but we're calling our daughter Hope, after my mother."
"Victoire and Hope," Bill said. "Victory and hope…good reminders for today."
"Is it really–" began Tonks, thinking of the calendar.
"She was born at 2 AM on the second of May," Bill said, while running his finger down Victoire's tiny, chubby cheek. "We had a few names in mind, but Victoire - victory - was the only one that made sense with her birthday."
"Victoire, after our victory," said Tonks.
"And Hope for the future," added Bill. "Good names for future Gryffindors."
"Or Hufflepuffs." Tonks morphed her hair to the golden yellow of Hufflepuff house while Fleur rolled her eyes at both of them.
Teddy's eyes were glued to Victoire. He was fascinated with the baby girl, and Tonks had to hold him back from his attempts to hold her again.
"Teddy, love, we'll see Victoire again soon," Tonks said gently, while picking Teddy up to put on her hip again. "You'll be the best of friends in no time. Soon you'll have your own little sister to love."
Teddy wriggled against Tonks's arms. By then, Fleur had redressed herself and Tonks cleared her throat for Remus to turn around.
"We'll come back, Teddy." Remus took Teddy back in his arms but the boy was already struggling against Remus's hold.
"I think it might be snack time," Tonks said. "I predict a meltdown if we don't get him something to eat."
"Takes after his mother," Remus said drily. "Congratulations again, Bill and Fleur. She's beautiful."
"I 'ope your 'Ope eez born before September," Fleur said idly. "If my daughter must to go to 'Ogwarts she will be with a friend."
Tonks grinned at Bill and gave him two thumbs up. Over the last few years - since Bill was attacked by Fenrir at the start of the war - Tonks, Remus, Bill, and Fleur had become good friends. Tonks considered it one of her many victories in winning Fleur over, who was a fiercely good friend once one put in the effort to be her friend.
Tonks, Remus, and Teddy went back downstairs, where the Weasleys were chatting happily and discussing the birth of the first Weasley grandchild. No one had yet to mention what day it was or who they'd lost. George had Angelina, his now-fiance at his side, and planted a kiss on her cheek. Tonks could tell he'd cried that day - hadn't they all? - but the news of Victoire's birth overshadowed the anniversary's sadness.
Victoire had been born in victory; soon, little Hope Lupin would be born in hope for the continued, hard-earned peace in the wizarding world.
